Dak Lak (VNA) – The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)is coordinating with forest rangers of Zone 4 to organise a training course oncombating wildlife trafficking, in Buon Ma Thuot city, the Central Highlandsprovince of Dak Lak.

The course, from December 25-27, gathers forest rangers, policeofficers and naval forces from border provinces like Gia Lai, Dak Lak, DakNong, Kon Tum and Binh Phuoc.

The participants will get an insight into wildlife trafficking innot only the world and the region, but also Vietnam and Dak Lak province, alongwith the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Faunaand Flora, and other relevant documents issued by Vietnam.

They will also discuss challenges to law enforcement in localitiesand share experience in handling wildlife trafficking cases.

Nguyen Dao Ngoc Van, Senior Project Officer at WWF-Vietnam, saidthe increasing demand for wildlife products has boosted wildlife poaching andsmuggling. 

However, she said, wildlife traffickers have yet to receiveappropriate punishment, and public awareness of this issue remains limited,pushing wild animals to face serious threats.

Van, therefore, called on the participants to take practicalactions to slow down the process of extinction of wild animals and recover theecosystem in the Central Highlands, helping the region regain its title as aparadise of wild animals in Asia.

She also urged departments and agencies in the border localitiesto map out countermeasures, especially during the Tet (Lunar New Year) festivalin 2020.

DakLak is home to the largest number of wild and tame elephants in Vietnam, withfive wild herds gathering about 80-100 elephants, and 45 tame elephants.

However, elephant poaching, deforestation andelephant riding tourism have challenged the conservation work in Dak Lak.

In July2018, Animals Asia gave the Yok Don National Park in Dak Lak province65,000 USD to support the transition of elephant-riding tourism towardselephant watching tourism from July, 2018 to July, 2023.

Accordingto a report on wildlife violations and law enforcement in Vietnam from2013-2017 conducted by the WCS and the Department of Criminal JusticeStatistics and Information Technology at the Supreme People’s Procuracy,Vietnam recorded more than 1,500 wildlife crimes, seizing over 41,300 kg ofwildlife specimens and products, from January 2013 to December 2017.

 Some 1,460 people have reportedly violatedregulations on wildlife protection, of whom 432 were brought to trial withcriminal charges./.